“I Play For My Country” – Rashid Khan Reveals He Rejected Offers to Represent India and Australia

Rashid Khan has revealed that he turned down opportunities to switch allegiance to both India and Australia. He has chosen to continue representing Afghanistan in international cricket. The Afghanistan leg-spinner shared the details in his autobiography, Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom, outlining conversations that took place during his franchise career.

One such interaction occurred during the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League. At that time, he was playing for the Gujarat Titans. 

Rashid Khan said he was approached with an offer to stay in India and pursue cricket with local backing, including the possibility of receiving official documentation.

“I was surprised by what he was saying and didn’t know how to respond. But I smiled and said, Thank you very much. I am playing for my country, Afghanistan,” he wrote.

Commitment to Afghanistan

Rashid added that similar interest came from Australia, reflecting his standing in international cricket. However, he maintained a consistent position on his future.

“I received such offers from both Australia and India. But I told them, ‘If I don’t play for my country, I won’t play for any other country either,’” he stated.

The 27-year-old has been a central figure in Afghanistan’s rise across formats. Since making his debut, he has featured in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. With his outstanding performances, he has built a reputation as one of the leading leg-spinners in the game.

Across formats, Rashid has taken 448 wickets and contributed over 2,000 runs. This underlines his role as an all-round performer for Afghanistan.